Box feeding device for lidders



March 30, 1937. G. c. PAXTON BOX FEEDING DEVICE FOR LIDDERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1932 o o m.

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March 30, 1937. G. c. PAXTON BOXFEEDING DEVICE FOR LIDDERS Filed May 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 147' 7' ORA EV Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES BOX FEEDING DEVICE FOR LIDDERS Gerald G. Paxton, Sanger, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Food Machinery Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application May 24, 1932, Serial No. 613,225

4 Claims.

My invention relates to article handling apparatus and more particularly to mechanism for feeding boxes to a lidder or other processing device.

While useful with suitable modification in many industries, I will describe my invention with particular reference to its utility in the citrus industry. In citrus packing houses the fruit is packed in shipping boxes by hand and the packed boxes are then usually collected on a horizontal conveyor system and delivered to a single point where they are lidded by an automatic lidding machine.

It is an object of my invention to provide an automatic box feeding mechanism which is controlled in conjunction with the normal operation of the lidding machine, thus eliminating the necessity of manually feeding boxes from the conveyor to the lidder.

It is common practice in the citrus industry to strap the packed boxes immediately after the lids are applied, the lidding and strapping operations being performed by one machine or separate lidding and strapping machines placed side by side in line with the packed box conveyor.

A certain machine manufactured by Hale Paxton, and known as the Paxton lidding and strapping machine, accomplishes the lidding and strapping operations simultaneously. In this machine, the lid and the strap are both fed by hand into the machine prior to each operation.

It is another object of my invention to provide an automatic box feeding mechanism for delivering boxes to a machine for lldding and/0r strapping boxes, and which is adapted to be controlled in conjunction with the feeding of lids and/or straps to the machine, so that a box is fed into the machine promptly after the machine is supplied .with the material to be applied to said box.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects, as well as further objects and. advantages, will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. i is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of my invention shown in conjunction with a Paxton lidder and strapper.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a Paxton strapper illustrating another mode of controlling the operation of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus of my invention taken on line 33 of Fig. i.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 6-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical system employed in my invention and comprising the compound control means thereof.

Referring specifically to the drawings, a feed conveyor It, comprising a preferred embodiment of my invention, is shown in Fig. 1 positioned between a packed box conveyor I! and a lidding and strapping machine l2.

As shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the feed conveyor l0 includes a suitable frame 20 having angle iron legs 2!, horizontal transverse angle iron members 22 and 23, and longitudinal angle iron members 24 and 25, the ends of the latter being secured to the transverse members 22 and 23. Secured to the under sides of the members 24 and 25 at opposite ends of the feed conveyor H3 is a plate 30 and a motor supporting hanger 3|.

Adjustably mounted in suitable holes in the 7 angle iron members 24 and 25 are box aligning rollers 35, as best shown in Fig. 3. Journaled in suitable bearings 36 provided on the angle iron members 24 and 25 is a shaft 40 to which is keyed a pair of box conveying rollers M, it

being noted in Figs. 1 and 4 that the top level of the rollers M is disposed slightly above the top level of the idle rollers 35. Keyed to one end of the shaft 40 is a sprocket wheel 45.

Yieldably mounted on the transverse angle iron member 22 is an arm 50. The arm 50 is downwardly bent at one end to form a flange 5i and is provided at its opposite end with an armate portion 52. Extending through suitable holes in the flange 5i are cap screws 55, these being screw threaded into the transverse member 22. Mounted on the cap screws 55 are compression springs 56 which yieldably urge the flange 55 of the arm 56 into contact with the upstanding side of the member 22. The normal position of the arm 58 is best shown in Fig. 4, it being noted that the arcuate portion 52 thereof extends above the level of the rollers M. -Mounted on the plate 38 directly below the arm 58 is a conventional button switch 60 which is positioned to be contacted by the arm 56 when the arm is depressed to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4.

Secured to the hanger M is a combined electric motor $5 and a worm and gear speed reduction unit lid. This unit drives a sprocket it positioned in alignment with the aforementioned sprocket 45. Trained about the sprockets 45 and I is a chain II, the chain and sprockets being enclosed by a suitable housing I5. Secured to one side of the hanger 3| is a conventional mag- 5 netic switch I6.

The lidding and strapping machine I2, shown in Fig. 1, in conjunction with the feed conveyor I0, is substantially of the same type as is disclosed in the copending applications of Hale l0 Paxton for U. S. Letters Patent Serial Nos.

554,211 and 566,822.

The machine I2 includes a frame 80 to which is secured the feed conveyor I0. Slidable vertically on the frame 80 is a box supporting carriage 8| which is adapted to be raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder 82. Rotatably mounted on the carriage 8| are box conveying rollers 85 which are horizontally aligned with the rollers 35 of the feed conveyor I0 when the carriage 8| is at rest in its lowermost position.

Mounted on opposite sides of the frame 80 are brackets 90 which carry a plurality of lid nailing devices 9|. Secured to the under sides of the brackets 00 are lid positioning bars 02 and end tucking mechanisms 95.

Centrally mounted on the frame 90 is a strapper 01 which includes a strapping saddle bar I00 and strap supporting jaws |0| suspended therefrom. Mounted on one of the lid positioning bars 02 by means of a bracket I05 is a conventional button-switch I06 positioned to be momentarily contacted by the end of a box lid 0 when the lid is being fed to the machine I2, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6, the electrical apparatus and wiring system employed for controlling the feed conveyor I0 includes the button switches 60 and I00, the magnetic switch 10, the motor 65, and a suitable source of electrical current such as a generator 5.

The lid responsive button switch I06 is provided with a pair of terminals A and B, an arm C, and is adapted to be urged out of contact by a compression spring D. The box responsive button switch 60 is identical with the switch I08, and is provided with terminals E and F, an arm G, and a compression spring H. The magnetic switch I6 is of conventional design including a magnet J, a pair of terminals K and L, and a spring returned bar M which is adapted to be drawn against the terminals K and L by the magnet J. The magnet J is provided with suitable terminals N and O. The motor 65 is provided with conventional terminals P and R, and

the generator 5 with terminals S and T.

Terminals S and P are connected by a wire I20; terminals T and A by a wire I2I; terminals A and K by a wire I22; terminals L and B by a wire I23; terminals N and S by a wire I24; terminaJs O and R by a wire I25; terminals F and L by a wire I26; and terminal E is connected to the wire I25 by a wire I2'I.

Operation The usual manner of operation of the lidder and strapper I2 is as follows: Just before the lidding of each box it is necessary that a strap I25 and a1id||0 be fed into the machine, and in the type of machine illustrated this feeding is done manually. The strap is usually fed by the left-hand and is inserted in the machine before the lid. In feeding the strap, it is lifted up beneath the saddle bar I00 with opposite ends of the strap engaging the lower guide lugs of the in Fig. 1, afte: which the right-hand end of the lid is lifted, permitting it to assume the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in this view. It is to be noted that in its full line position, shown in Fig. l, the lid 0 e gages the switch I00 so as to actuate this, but hat in its dotted line position the lid is out of contact with the switch.

With the lidder I2 thus supplied with a strap and a lid, these are applied to a packed box by positioning thisbox on the supporting carriage 8| which is then elevated to press the lid onto the fruit and bring the ends of the lid against the ends of the box just beneath the nailing devices 9I. These nailing devices and the strapper 91 are then actuated and the supporting carriage 8| with the lidded packed box automatically drops downwardly and the box, lidded and strapped, is discharged in a rightward direction therefrom, as clearly explained in the copending application of Hale Paxton for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 526,927, filed April 1, 1931.

The principal function of the present invention is to automatically feed packed boxes of fruit onto the supporting carriage 8| so that a packed box will be positioned on the carriage 8| in readiness for completing the lidding and strapping function with as little delay as possible after the strap and lid have been fed to the machine. The feed conveyor I0, therefore, is adapted to feed a packed box into the machine I2 in the following manner:

When a packed box I30 is discharged onto the feed conveyor I0 by the packed box conveyor II, it comes to rest in its dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 due to frictional engagement of the box with the rollers II, these being normally locked against rotation by the worm and gear unit 86.

The packed box conveyor II is driven continuously by any suitable power means (not shown) and serves to deliver packed boxes from the packing table (not shown) to the feed conveyor I 0. In common practice boxes are sufficiently spaced on the conveyor II to allow ample time for the lidding operation without the boxes becoming congested at the delivery end of the conveyor II. As the box I30 slides onto the conveyor I0 the arm 50 is depressed to its dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 and the switch 50 is contacted, thus closing the circuit between the lid operated switch I05 and the magnet J through wires I28, I21, I23, and I25. when, after the switch 60 is thus closed, the switch I05 is momentarily contacted by a lid |3| during manual placement of the lid in the lidding machine I2 (as shown in Fig. 1) this energizes the magnet J of the switch I8 bringing the bar M in contact with the terminals K and L, thus completing the circuit between the generator 5 and the motor 55.

When thus energized, the motor 55 rotates the rollers 4| through the speed reduction unit 55 and the chain II, and the box I30 is discharged from the feed conveyor I0 onto the box supporting carriage 8| of the lidding machine I2, as shown in Fig. 1. As the box passes from the feed conveyor I 0, the arm 50 returns to its normal position and the switch 50 breaks the circuit between the generator IIS and the magnet J,

and the bar-M of the magnetic switch I! then returns to its normal position and breaks the circuit between the generator III and the motor 65. It is thus evident that the conveyor I is automatically stopped upon the opening of the box responsive switch 60 as the box passes into the lidder 12. It is also to be noted that closing of the switch 60 by a box riding over the lever 50 does not start the conveyor III in operation until the lid responsive switch I06 is also contacted.

The feed conveyor I0 is thus seen to feed a box into the lidder and strapper I! as the feeding of the strap and lid into this machine is being completed- Owing to the fact that the operation of the conveyor IO does not commence until the switch I06 is actuated, there is no danger of a box being prematurely fed into the machine. On the other hand, it is notnecessary for the operator to consciously set the feed conveyor in operation, as this is automatically accomplished in connection with the feeding of the lid into the lidder and strapper.

The essence of my invention is thus seen to reside in the compound control'means illustrated in Fig. 6 and operating in accordance with the description hereinabove.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a modified form of apparatus for controlling the feed conveyor l0 is-here shown which includes a button switch I35 mounted on the saddle bar I of the lidding and strapping machine l2. The switch I is identical in character with the switch I06, and when the switch I" is used, it is substituted in the electric system of my invention in the place of 35 the switch I. The switch I" is-positioned to be manually operated simultaneously with the placing of a strap I" in the saddle bar Hill as shown in'Fls. 2.

The purpose of this modified form of my in- 4 vention is to, start the operation of the feed conveyor It in connection with the feeding of the strap to the machine. The advantage of this is that certain operators are faster than others and are accordingly able to get a lid in position after 45 the feed conveyor has started to deliver a box to the lidding and strapping machine without interiering with the delivery of this box to the machine. Where a worker having these qualifications is available, of course, it is advantageous to have the manual switch of my device in position on the strapping saddle bar I00 so that the switch can be actuated in conjunction with feeding the strap into the machine.

While I have shown and described but two preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes can be made in these without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a box lidder: a packed box conveyor adapted to deliver packed boxes to said lidder; a feed control conveyor adapted to be interposed between said packed box conveyor and said lidder; means on said feed control conveyor to stop boxes discharged one at a time onto said conveyor by said packed box conveyor means on said feed control conveyor to discharge boxes one at a time into said box lidder; and means on said lidder responsive to the placement of a lid in said lidder to start said box discharge means on said feed control conveyor.

2. In combination with a box lidder: a feed control conveyor normally dead; means for operating said conveyor; and a compound control means including means responsive to the positioning of the'box on said conveyor and means responsive to the insertion of a lid in said lidder to set in motion said conveyor operating means to cause said conveyor to feed said box into said lidder.

3. A combination as in claim 2 in which said box responsive means causes said compound control means to stop said conveyor when said box responsive means is disengaged by said box as the box is fed into said lidder.

4. A combination as in claim 2 in which said lid responsive means accomplishes its function when contacted by said lid so that said compound control means maintains said conveyor in motion until said box has been fed therefrom.

GERALD C. PAXTON. 

